Sunday, August 28, 2016

Humility

In today's readings we have
some of the scriptural sources for that most important of all Christian
characteristics--humility.

The reading from Sirach sets the tone:

My child, conduct your affairs with humility

and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.

Humble yourself the more, the greater you are

and you will find favor with God.

In last weeks gospel our Lord
said that the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. Today He tells
the parable of the guests at the wedding banquet who were choosing the places
of honor for themselves, but who then had to shamefully take a lower
place.

Every one who exalts himself will be humbled,

but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

The word "humility"
comes from the Latin word "humus" which literally means dirt. It
reminds us of the words said on Ash Wednesday, "Remember, you are dust and
unto dust you shall return." In Medieval Church art the virtues were often
depicted along with their contrasting vices. For example, Chastity was paired
up against Lust, and Temperance was paired up against Gluttony. Humility was,
of course, always contrasted with the greatest of the vices, Pride.

Now, what is Humility? The
readings today suggest that this virtue has to do with knowing who you are and
acting accordingly. Sirach says, "What is too sublime for you, seek not,
into things beyond your strength search not." Or as Clint Eastwood said in
one of the dirty Harry movies, "A man's got to know his limitations."

All the virtues are meant to
be practiced each and every day. Virtues are good habits in the same way that
vices are bad habits. Like other habits the more we practice them, the harder
it will be to break them. For example, the more we lie, the harder it will be
for us to tell the truth. In the end it will be virtually impossible to tell
the truth. In the same way, the only way to avoid Pride is to practice
Humility.

How do we do that? I'd like
to start by giving an example from History. Although Monasteries are no longer
a key part of our culture, they were for over a thousand years a major factor,
if not the major factor, in the development of Western Civilization. Most
monasteries evolved from the Rule of St. Benedict, a Roman nobleman of the 4th
and 5th centuries. A Rule just means a set of regulations or laws that everyone
in the monastery agreed to live by.

The Rule told them when to
get up in the morning, when to work, when to study, when to pray, when to eat,
and when to sleep. We might be shocked at this idea, but most of us have
adopted some kind of rule for ourselves. We get up at the same time each
morning, eat the same breakfast, read the same newspaper, and so on. Ideally,
by adhering to the rule the monk was practicing humility. He was following the
words of our Lord, "not my will, but your will be done."

I'm not saying that we have
to enter a monastery to practice humility. Sirach gives us some practical tips.

The mind of a sage appreciates proverbs,

and an attentive ear is the joy of the wise.

Water quenches a flaming fire,

and alms atone for sins.

The first line about the
"mind of a sage" indicates that we should appreciate the wisdom of
those who might have the knowledge and experience to instruct us. Our parents
and grandparents are the first ones who come to mind here. It is a sign of the
pridefulness of our age that we don't think that we have anything to learn from
our elders. Teachers come to mind next. I recall reading about a woman who
became a millionaire even though she never made more than $60000/ year. She
attributed her success to the example of her elementary and high school
teachers.

Someone once said that since
we have two ears and one mouth we should do twice as much listening as talking.
What a dream? At most business conferences I have attended, the participants
have been more interested in talking about themselves and their ways, than
learning from others. Invariably, the top producers are the ones who talk least
about themselves.

The giving of alms was a
cornerstone of Sirach's Jewish faith just as it is a cornerstone of our
Christian faith. Just as Christ gave Himself up for us, the giving of alms is a
giving up of a little bit of ourselves for others. It is the ultimate act of
humility. For the medieval monks their doors were always open to the poor.

Today's second reading
reminds us a little of the scene from the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy, the
Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion finally approach the great and
powerful wizard after completing their mission. They discovered that they
didn't need the wizard after all. By practicing virtues like prudence, loyalty,
courage, and humility on their journey, they found their brain, their heart,
their courage, and their way home.